Qatar leads efforts to include Bisht in UNESCO heritage list
Bisht gained international fame after Amir wrapped it around Lionel Messi after Argentina’s World Cup win
Agencies
Doha: Qatar is leading efforts, along with nine Arab countries, to include the Bisht, a traditional black cloak, on the UNESCO list.
The meeting of the final drafting committee for the file of Bisht (men’s cloak) was held in Doha.
The four-day meeting was organized by the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science (QNCECS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
Qatar had first announced the bid to include the cloak and the traditional Ardha dance in World Heritage Day 2024 in April 2023.
The Bisht is a traditional cloak for men that is part of the region’s ancient heritage and is worn in special ceremonies and a symbol of royalty.
The black classy garment gained international fame and interest following the iconic 2022 FIFA World Cup final where Qatar’s Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani wrapped it around Lionel Messi after Argentina’s historic World Cup win.
The Bisht almost immediately topped Google searches at the time.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of ALECSO’s Culture Department, Dr. Hamid bin Saif Al Nawafli, said Qatar and nine countries are spearheading the Bisht file, which is one of the powerful files, adding that ALECSO leads the joint Arab cultural action in preparing the advanced files to be registered on the list that represents the UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage.
The mission of ALECSO aims to address the challenges facing the countries, especially those that do not have the capabilities and ample expertise to prepare such types of files that apparently require special standards and certain regulations, Al Nawafli highlighted, adding that ALECSO dedicates its expertise and potential to advancing the joint Arab action, affirming that the meetings constitute an opportunity for states to build their capabilities in preparing the files.
Al Nawafli emphasized that ALECSO strives to advance the cultural affairs in the Arab region, adding that the meeting will finalize the preparation for the final version of the file expected to be completed after the meeting, highlighting that Arab states have a deadline of March 31 to submit the complete Bisht file, along with other files that will be prepared with other states to be submitted to UNESCO.
